Given the accumulating effects of global warming and the increasing potential for disastrous climate change, some form of geoengineering likely will be attempted within the next decade or two. As advanced nanotechnology moves ahead, it could enable—for better or for worse—truly epic planet-scale (re)terraforming projects.

With sufficient study of the issues involved, and with some imagination, it’s not difficult to project a continuum between global warming, climate chaos, geoengineering, and planet-scale engineering.

Global warming is well underway, and in fact has been accumulating for more than 100 years. Long-term feedback cycles—such as ocean acidification, forest die-back, desertification, species migrations, methane clathrate releases, and ice cap melts in the Arctic, Greenland, and Antarctica—could be nearly impossible to change, and likely will accelerate overall warming trends.

Climate chaos, in the form of more frequent and more powerful hurricanes/typhoons, longer and more severe droughts, extreme and unprecedented rainfall and flooding, crop failures, famines, and massive refugee movements—all this will force governmental authorities to seriously consider drastic solutions.

Geoengineering, also known as (re)terraforming, is almost certain to be attempted at some point, by one or more measures and to a greater or lesser degree. Chances are, the more severe the problems are from climate chaos—and the less that has already been done by that time to confront the global warming challenge—the more extreme will be the response. Whether or not those attempts at geoengineering will be carefully evaluated, wisely chosen, and will have the desired impact without disastrous unforeseen side effects is a risk we’ll have to face.

Planet-scale engineering will become possible only after the development of molecular manufacturing—but at that point the full implications of nanotechnology + globalization may become apparent. For the first time in history, a simple, inexpensive, and (potentially) widely available technology could be put to use on projects of a truly global scale. Meanwhile, the continued growth of multinational corporations through globalization will have made them both more powerful and more influential in government decision-making.

Put those four things together and you can easily envision a future where things get worse, people grow more unsatisfied, and politicians feel the need to act.

By the time we reach the final stage above, the actions those political leaders decide to endorse could be of epic proportions, bringing science fictional projects, infrastructures, and impacts to the Earth—and even beyond—for better or for worse.

All of this could take place within the next decade or two. Will we be ready by then to make wise and responsible choices?

The first step is to truly understand the mechanisms and to use the least energy intensive way to effect the most significant change.

I really do believe we are still at such an early stage in the understanding of how the drivers integrate that action is premature.

I , contrary to most, believe that global warming is a useful phenomenon.
The ability to melt the polar caps while freeing up enough carbon to tie up the resulting water in biomass all the while reversing desertification and managing terraforming with a limited energy budget is the humungous task.

Starting with a world more interested in tribal conflict, rampant with neanderthal-like social customs is a serious handicap.

To be provacative and serious in the same vein, perhaps the next “Star Trek” movie can visit just such a planet as ours is now and show them how, so that this dumbed down hollywood version will get the message into the thought processes of the masses.

It’s a great idea to start a discussion on the ethics of geoengineering. I have defined some criteria for choosing geoengineering and earth restoration strategies which could be implemented NOW (non-harming, reversibility, side benefits etc).